Thoughts On the Publishing Process

As a first-time author with no knowledge of the book publishing business, I did not know what to expect, and I would like to share some of my thoughts regarding the experience.

One Size Does Not Fit All

First, I found it somewhat amusing that not all publishers require the same information when deciding if your manuscript is worthy of publication.

It is not as simple as writing a query letter, sending in a couple of sample chapters, and sitting back waiting for the acceptance emails to come flying in. There are book summaries to write – some long and detailed, others abbreviated - and occasionally summaries for each chapter. There was more work involved in this than I expected, but it made sense.

Publishers receive hundreds of submissions every year, and each acquisition editor has a method of quickly separating the wheat from the chaff. It means that unless you are extremely good or fortunate, you will receive numerous denials,… as did I.

Generosity In Rejection

Receiving no response at all was not uncommon, which I found offensive. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how readily some rejecting editors were also willing to help me by answering follow-up questions or directing me to publishers they thought would be more responsive. Considering how busy these people are, I found this quite refreshing.

Building a Team

I received help from other areas as well.

I hired David Aretha to edit my work early on, but he did much more than that. David treated me fairly from day one and became somewhat of a counselor who guided me through the early stages.

The same is true of Matthew Wayne Selznick, who is presently helping me create a website, establish a social media presence, and market my book. However, Matthew has gone far beyond this and has become more of a coach who provides me with guidance in areas of publishing I know nothing about.

My advice for anyone looking to publish a book is to hire people who know the business and are fair and enthusiastic about helping new authors. They are out there, and the two men described above are an excellent place to start.

I learned networking was essential, and most people I came across were eager to help. For example, I spoke with Shaun Loftus, an American living in Florence, Italy, who directed me to Maria Connor. Maria was not interested, but offered to post what I was looking for with her freelancer group, which is how I connected with Matthew Selznick. I must confess I was pleasantly surprised by this.

Here Be Dragons…

I did find it disturbing that hybrid publishers, who sometimes create the illusion they are traditional publishers, expect the writer to pay for all publishing and marketing costs. I received one such offer, which I rejected. I would rather have self-published than work with a hybrid.

Working With a Publisher

I was also initially unaware that the publisher you sign with has the right to change the manuscript, title, book cover, and anything else that suits them. There is nothing wrong with this. It is just one more thing to be aware of. For the record, I walked away from potential publishers who wanted to slash my work to pieces.

I was fortunate to sign on with Sunbury Press, which has been open about what they wanted to do from the beginning, and has been very accommodating and understanding.

“The End” Is Just the Beginning

Finally, I always thought that once you signed a contract with a publishing house, your work was over, and you could start writing your next book. Unless you are a famous author, nothing could be further from the truth. If you want to sell books, the writer must get involved in self-marketing and self-promotion. It was somewhat intimidating at first, but it just adds to the enjoyment of the experience. So embrace it.

In fact, embrace the entire process. There is a lot of work involved and countless rejections, but there is a high one feels when things go right that makes it all worthwhile.

I cannot wait to do it again.